A “500-year flood” hit Texas this week and that is the subject of this episode.

We begin with a monologue from your host about heroism in Houston.

We continue with three interviews, each about a different angle to this story.

First, we talked to State Rep. Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi, who has represented the coastal bend region of Texas off and on since 1989. I began by asking him how he’s feeling, what the most pressing challenges are for his area of the state, how the state and federal response has been, what kind of heroic response he has witnessed, and finally about what is needed now.

Then, we turn to the non-profit angle with Alberto “Beto” Cardenas, who is a Board Member and Secretary of the Houston Food Bank. We started by discussing the mission of the Food Bank, the scale of its operations, and then discussed what they are doing to serve thousands of people each day, what their needs are, and how people can help. Finally, we discussed the spirit of Houston.

We end this episode with a discussion about how the energy industry has been affected with Texas Railroad Commission chairman Christi Craddick, whose regulatory agency oversees the energy industry in Texas. She updates us on where things stand with gasoline supply and refineries, gives us her assessment of how the industry has handled this crisis, and then discuss what, if anything, she’s worried about.